Friday; November 26

You might have noticed a theme during our times together this week. My goal this Thanksgiving Week has been to highlight some things for which I am thankful. As I entered the week, I realized that thanksgiving is more than a day – it is an attitude. Since I am the one who gets to control my attitude, then I get to pick just how thankful I am going to be. I am sick and tired of being sick and tired – I think I like being thankful better – and I am the only one who can make that happen.

One of the challenges I have faced over the last few years is an appreciation for the nation in which we live. Whether it is a disappointment in leaders or feeling disheartened at social and political developments, I have struggled with appreciating our country. As I have been thinking about things this week, I have come to realize we are blessed. We have good people doing good things. We have a say in the way our government is being run. We have an affluence and the freedom that is the envy of most of the rest of the world. For the most part, we can work together with our friends and neighbors – and even with our opponents – to fix those areas we find amiss. No, our nation isn’t perfect, but it’s still a pretty good place to be.
As we finish up this Thanksgiving Week, I want to thank you for being my fellow citizens. I appreciate what you do to provide an infrastructure that allows me to enjoy my life. Thank you for smiling and waving when you see me and for being tolerant when I don’t fulfill my end of the social agreement of being a good neighbor. Thanks for proving that, together, we can do good and find the success to make us all better.

Think About It!

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